Preface
Way of The Peaceful Warrior
A Book That Changes Lives
Author’s Note:
I didn’t choose the subtitle of my best-known book; it was chosen by my publisher after seeing letter after letter from grateful readers (of the hardback book published several years before) who repeated the same phrase: “This book changed my life.” When I’ve asked people, over the years, to explain what they meant — since a book doesn’t change lives; only we can do that — they often responded that the book expanded their perspective and pointed to our human potential and possibilities — that there was more to life than news, weather, and sports.
Preface
An extraordinary series of events took place in my life, beginning in December 1966, during my junior year at the University of California at Berkeley. It all began at 3:20 A.M., when I first stumbled upon Socrates in an all-night gas station. (He didn’t volunteer his real name, but after spending time with him that first night, I named him on impulse after the ancient Greek sage; he liked the name, so it stuck.) That chance encounter and the adventures that followed were to transform my life.
The years prior to 1966 had smiled upon me. Raised by loving parents in a secure environment, I was later to win the World Trampoline Championship in London, travel through Europe, and receive many honors. Life brought rewards, but no lasting peace or satisfaction.
Now I realize that I had, in a sense, been sleeping all those years and just dreaming I was awake — until I met Socrates, who came to be my mentor and friend. Before that time, I’d always believed that a life of quality, enjoyment, and wisdom were my human birthright and would be automatically bestowed upon me as time passed. I never suspected that I would have to learn how to live — that there were specific disciplines and ways of seeing the world I had to master before I could awaken to a simple, happy, uncomplicated life.
Socrates showed me the error of my ways by contrasting them with his way, the Way of the Peaceful Warrior. He constantly poked fun at my own serious, concerned, problematic life, until I came to see through his eyes of wisdom, compassion, and humor. And he never let up until I discovered what it means to live as a warrior.
Often I sat with him far into the early morning hours — listening to him, arguing with him, and, in spite of myself, laughing with him. This story is based on my adventure, but it is a novel. The man I called Socrates did, in fact, exist. Yet he had a way of blending into the world, so it’s been difficult at times to tell where he left off and other teachers and life experiences began. I have taken liberties with the dialogue and with some time sequences and have sprinkled anecdotes and metaphors into the story to highlight the lessons Socrates would want me to convey.
Life is not a private affair. A story and its lessons are only made useful if shared. So I’ve chosen to honor my teacher by sharing his piercing wisdom and humor with you.
Chapter One: The Gas Station at Rainbow’s End
Life begins, I thought, as I waved good-bye to Mom and Dad and pulled away from the curb in my reliable old Valiant, its faded white body stuffed with the belongings I’d packed for my first year at college. I felt strong, independent, ready for anything.
Singing to myself above the radio’s music, I sped north across the freeways of Los Angeles, then up and over the Grapevine, connecting with Route 99, which carried me through the green agricultural flatlands stretching to the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Just before dusk, my winding descent through the Oakland hills brought me a shimmering view of San Francisco Bay. My excitement grew as I neared the Berkeley campus.
After finding my dormitory, I unpacked and gazed out the window at the Golden Gate Bridge and the lights of San Francisco sparkling in the darkness.
Five minutes later I was walking along Telegraph Avenue, looking in shop windows, breathing the fresh northern California air, savoring the smells drifting out of tiny cafés. Overwhelmed by it all, I walked the beautifully landscaped paths of the campus until after midnight.
The next morning, immediately after breakfast, I walked down to Harmon Gymnasium, where I’d be training six days a week, four muscle-straining, somersaulting, sweaty hours each day, pursuing my dreams of becoming a champion.
Two days passed, and I was already drowning in a sea of people, papers, and class schedules. Soon the months seemed to merge, passing and changing softly, like the mild California seasons. In my classes I survived; in the gym, I thrived. A friend once told me I was born to be an acrobat. I certainly looked the part: clean cut, short brown hair, a lean, wiry body. I’d always had a penchant for daredevil stunts; even as a child I enjoyed playing on the edge of fear. The gymnastics room had become my sanctuary, where I found excitement, challenge, and a measure of satisfaction.
By the end of my first two years at Cal I had flown to Germany, France, and England, representing the United States Gymnastics Federation. I won the World Trampoline Championship; my gymnastics trophies were piling up in the corner of my room; my picture appeared in the Daily Californian with such regularity that people began to recognize me, and my reputation grew. Women smiled at me. Susie, a savory, unfailingly sweet friend with short blond hair and a toothpaste smile, paid me amorous visits more and more often. Even my studies were going well. I felt on top of the world.
However, in the early autumn of 1966, my junior year, something dark and intangible began to take shape. By then I’d moved out of the dorm and was living alone in a small studio behind my landlord’s house. During this time, I felt a growing melancholy, even in the midst of my achievements. Shortly thereafter, the nightmares started. Nearly every night I jerked awake, sweating. Almost always, the dream was the same . . .
Continued in Way of the Peaceful Warrior . . .
A Book That Changes Lives
This edition of one of the most beloved spiritual sagas of our time contains hundreds of revisions by the author. It also includes a new Afterword that tells the story behind the book-how it was born, “died,” then rose from its ashes to become a word-of-mouth bestseller that continues to inspire millions of men and women of all ages in 22 languages worldwide.
Blending fact and fiction, the story relates an odyssey into realms of light and shadow, romance, and mystery. Guided by an eccentric old warrior named Socrates, drawn to an elusive young woman called Joy, Dan moves toward a final confrontation that will deliver or destroy him.
This classic tale, told with heart and humor, speaks to the peaceful warrior in each of us, moving readers to laughter and tears — even to moments of illumination — as they rediscover life’s larger meaning and purpose. Join Dan on the peaceful warrior’s path. Find out why this book has changed lives.
Comments by Dan:
Way of the Peaceful Warrior began my own journey as a writer and teacher. I’ve been blessed by thousands of letters I’ve received over the years. When I wrote it, I had no idea that so many people, young and old, from different walks of life, would find my story so inspiring. Over the years I’ve asked myself why. I believe it’s because my story also touched upon universal themes-our common quest for meaning and purpose and direction. Somehow it reminds readers of what they had always known but forgotten — the bigger picture and essential perfection of our lives unfolding.